If you look up “lowered libido + pill” or any related search terms on the Internet, you will find a ton of content about this disorder, including some pretty intense statistics about Female Sexual Dysfunction, or FSD. In fact, a recent well-reviewed article on the subject says that an estimated 40 percent of women have FSD. The most common description of FSD is low desire, which might make you think: if nearly half of the female-bodied world is being diagnosed with low libido, maybe we should redefine the bar of “average” libido. (Because 40 percent sounds pretty damn average to me.)

Still, lowered sex drive appears to be a real side effect of being on the pill, so first, let’s learn why this happens — and then we can get into how you can work to get your libido back to the levels you’re used to.

How Does the Pill Work, Again?

Before you can figure out how the pill may be affecting you, it’s good to understand how it works. So first things first — what’s actually in the pill? It’s actually pretty simple: Oral contraceptives can be made of two hormones: estrogen and progestin. Some pills have both, and some have only progestin. Additionally, different pills have different levels of these hormones.

The Most Common Side Effects of the Pill

The pill can have some intense and nasty side effects. Commonly listed side effects include changes to your menstrual cycle, including it going away (this isn’t dangerous, although some women like getting the blood each month for various reasons...it shows us visual proof that we’re not pregnant, makes us feel more connected to the moon, whatever), nausea, changes in mood, depression, migraines, weight fluctuation, and tender breasts. More intense and medically dangerous side effects can include blood clots, heart attacks, high blood pressure, or stroke — but don’t worry, these are extremely rare and are even less likely to occur with the progestin-only pills.

So what happens with your sexy-making androgen levels when you’re on the pill? Some oral contraceptives mess with your body’s natural androgen production while they’re hindering your ovaries from doing their normal job of helping you make babies. Pills that contain estrogen vanquish your androgen stash even further, leaving you with less of the desire-boosting hormone available to your body — and potentially minimizing the intensity of your orgasm.

Why Doesn’t Everyone's Sex Drive Get Messed Up on the Pill?

The jury is still out on why the pill doesn’t mess with the libido levels of all women. Common theories include that the feeling of sexual freedom without the threat or worry of conception is so sexy that it can override the feelings you may be getting from low androgen levels. Also, new romance can be so exciting that it can distract you from lower-than-usual levels of sexual feelings (this is non-scientifically called the honeymoon period). Finally, people have different levels of hormones both throughout their lives and at different times during their lives, and androgens are no exception — so the pill can affect you differently, depending on who you are and what stage of life you’re in.

What Can You Do About It?

If not-sexy is the way you’re feeling while you’re on the pill, don’t worry — there are a bunch of things you can do to increase your sex drive.

Change Your Pill

Some pill options have been found to lower libido more than others. Since all oral contraceptives on the market are basically equally effective in preventing pregnancy, selecting the right pill for you really comes down to what side effects you personally get from each pill, and which you want to tolerate. For instance, some research indicates that pills that have less of the weight gain and mood swing effects are more likely to mess with your desire. Talk to your gynecologist about the side effects you’re having and consider transitioning to another pill option.

Stop Taking the Pill

You can either stop taking the pill forever, or you can just put the process on hold for a few months until your body gets back to its normal hormone levels. Getting all the synthetic hormones out of your system — a three to six month break is recommended — will allow you to check out how you feel without them. If you go this purge route, remember to supplement with another contraceptive option so you don’t get pregnant. If you are still feeling not as sexual as you want to, there could be other factors at play, such as depression, anxiety, or stress. The good news is that other contraceptive options haven’t been found to have the same libido-decreasing side effects, so you may want to check out getting an IUD or relying on condoms.

Talk to Your Doctor About Taking Androgens

While giving androgens to women with low sexual drive isn’t FDA approved yet, it’s being used experimentally to do just that. Talk to your doctor about the possibility of going on an androgen to help boost your libido.

Communicate With Your Partner

You probably know this already, but it really bears saying explicitly: It’s important to talk to your partner about the way you’re feeling always, but particularly if something’s changing within you that is impacting your relationship. Think about things your partner can do to make you feel sexier or more turned on. The research shows that feelings and circumstances can override hormonal deficiencies and keep your sex drive high. And as I love to say...communication is the best lubrication!

The Bottom Line

Oral contraception is a very powerful drug — one with many pros and some cons, and just one offering in our growing pregnancy prevention toolbox. If it works for you and makes you feel great and in charge and safe, then it’s a great option! But if the side effects of the synthetic hormones are getting you down in any way — whether it be lowered libido or any of the other side effects listed above — you may want to talk to your doctor about switching to a different option, such as something with lower or no hormones. Bedsider has an exceptional interface where you can learn about all the contraceptive options available to you.